Cowboy Take Me Away
by CriminalOutsider'sGirl14
Summary: The first warning sign should have been how ungodly skinny she was. And how she basically withdrew from life. Nothing seemed to matter. Living in the environment she did turned most kids rebellious and angry, but it left her broken. Rated T for Depression/Abuse. RUCAS. *"I'm dying," Riley sobbed. Maya shook her head. "Not if I can help it." How can you save someone from themselves?
1. Chapter 1

**Cowboy Take Me Away**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World or, sadly, Cowboy Take Me Away. *tear* And I don't make any money off of my stories.**

 **A/N: Please tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, but no flames. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thank you.**

"… _I said, cowboy take me away,_

 _Fly this girl as high as you can_

 _Into the wild blue,_

 _Set me free, oh, I pray,_

 _Closer to heaven above and_

 _Closer to you,_

 _Closer to you,_

 _I wanna walk and not run,_

 _I wanna skip and not fall,_

 _I wanna look at the horizon and_

 _Not see a building standing tall,_

 _I wanna be the only one for_

 _Miles and miles,_

 _Except for maybe you and your_

 _Simple smile,_

 _Oh, it sounds good to me,  
_

 _Yes, it sounds so good to me…"_

 **Maya's POV (Prologue)**

 _"It's okay to feel upset sometimes, Riles. You don't have to pretend. It's just me," I told her, pulling her into my chest. I could feel her shaking against me._

 _"I'm dying," she sobbed. I shook my head._

 _"Not if I can help it."_

 **Riley's POV**

I think it all started when we lost Auggie. Mom had been driving him home from a play date when their car got hit by a teenage boy on his cellphone. The car flipped and Auggie had forgotten to wear his seatbelt that day. My mom was up front with her seatbelt on, so she made it out alive. But Auggie died on the way to the hospital. Alcohol was right there for Dad, same way my knife was there for me. That's where things began to fall apart.

 **Third Person POV**

 _"Auggie, sit back down," Mrs. Mathews lectured her youngest child._

 _"I'm grabbing my toy from the back," Auggie responded innocently._

 _"Sit back down and get buckled, that's dangerous."_

 _"Okay," Auggie complied. Suddenly, before Auggie even had a chance to sit back down, a car slammed into the back of the van. There was the sound of metal-on-metal and breaking glass. Auggie's cry filled the air. It only took a few seconds. The car flipped and tumbled into a nearby parking lot. Mrs. Mathews hit her head against the top of the car and the windshield. She could feel warm blood running down her neck and face._

 _"Hold on, Auggie!" She screamed before everything went totally black._

 **OoOoOoO (Present Time)**

"The definition of survival from the beginning of time... Yes, Farkle?"

Riley barely paid attention during class. She stared straight ahead with empty brown eyes wearing an old, baggy hoodie.

She couldn't wait until she got to leave school. As soon as she got home that afternoon, she locked herself in the bathroom and pulled out her pocket knife out of the back of the cabinet.

Riley rolled up her shirt sleeve and just barely touched the knife against her skin. The pressure building in her chest was too much to handle. She sliced into her arm.

The euphoria afterwards was the same calming affect that she always felt. She was finally able to breathe correctly again, but it wasn't a permeant fix. She quickly got into the shower, hoping to wash off the dirty feeling and get dressed before her dad got home. If he caught her naked... She didn't even want to think of that. She shuddered at the mere thought.

Just as Riley slipped her jeans on she heard a door slam shut.

"Where are you?" Mr. Matthews demanded loudly, his voice slightly slurred. Riley opened the bathroom door to reveal herself, even though all she wanted to do was curl into a ball and never leave the floor.

Her father latched tightly onto her arm, unfortunately, right where her latest cut was. Cory Matthews drug her into the bedroom and abut the door tightly. Riley couldn't fight him anymore. She deserved it anyway.

 _Maybe Dad's right_ , she thought.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed please review!**

 **Stay Gold y'all,**

 **-Alee XxX**


	2. Chapter 2

**Cowboy Take Me Away**

 **A/N: Please tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, but no flames. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thank you.**

 **Ages:**

 **Riley: 14 1/2**

 **Maya: 15 1/2**

 **Zay: 15**

 **Lucas: almost 16**

 **Uncle Josh: 18**

 **Farkle: 15**

 **Auggie: He _would_ currently be 7.  
**

The next day Riley was so beyond sore that she could barely stand up. But she had already missed Friday and Monday, so she couldn't miss today also. Someone might notice her frequent absences and Riley didn't want to make her dad any angrier than he already was at her. She hid the bruises and fresh cuts with another long sleeve shirt.

" _Why didn't you die instead of Auggie!"_ His voice echoed in her head as she slowly and painfully got dressed. _"You deserved to die! Not him!_ "

She wondered if she was crazy. His voice always seemed to be in her head. She thought of herself, hid away in the bathroom with her pocket knife, and managed to answer own question.

Riley knew deep down that he was 100% right.

 **OoOoOoO**

"Are you going to get anything for lunch?" Maya slowly asked her friend as if it was obvious, noticing that she hadn't gone up in the line yet. There wasn't much time left to go up anyhow. Maya's joking attitude quickly turned to concern and confusion.

"I'm not that hungry today," Riley responded absentmindedly. It wasn't a lie exactly, just not entirely the whole truth. She had an apple at the table, she just hadn't touched it.

"Riley, I think you should eat," Lucas interjected. "You're gettin' really skinny."

"I thought you liked skinny girls," Riley asked.

"Riley, I love you for you. But I don't want you getting sick or anything," Lucas told her.

"Whatever," Riley responded carelessly, taking just a small bit of her apple. But that was all that she ate all day.

 **Peachy007 : I'm glad that you enjoyed it! Hope you liked this chapter also. **

**Emmarocks12469 : Thank you so very much! Your review is so appreciated!**

 **Lonelygirl02 (Guest): Thank you for your support. I hope that you still enjoyed this chapter. :)**

 **Guest : Haha. I love any Lucas pairing. I hope I can write Riley in character in this story. Thank you for commenting. :)**

 **Guest (2): I'm glad that you enjoyed the first chapter and I hope you continue to enjoy future chapter. Thank you so much for your kind review and support. It is very much appreciated. I shall try my best. :)**

 **JiLLiAN2548 : That is such a cool story idea. I'll try and start it when I finish this story.**

 **Guest (3): Thank you so much! Here's your update. :)**

 **Guest (4): Thank you so very much for your kind words.**

 **Greasygirl3 (Guest): Awe, I'm so glad. Thank you for being so kind and supportive. **

**Peace Out,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	3. Chapter 3

Cowboy Take Me Away

 **A/N: Please tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, but no flames. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thank you. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own "Friends in Low Places," by the amazing Garth Brooks or the amazing TV show Girl Meets World.**

 _"... Well, I guess I was wrong,_

I just don't belong,

 _But then, I've been there before,_

Everything's all right,

I'll just say goodnight,

And I'll show myself to the door,

Hey, I didn't mean,

To cause a big scene,

Just give me an hour and then,

Well, I'll be as high,

As that ivory tower,

That you're livin' in ..."

 **Third Person POV**

"Riley," Lucas called to her, catching up with Riley in the hallway. "Did I upset you at lunch? I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything, I was just worried..."

She shook her head and kept walking. "No, Lucas, it's fine."

"Hey," he softly cupped Riley's chin to make her look at him in the eyes. "I'm sorry, baby. I love you."

"I love you too," the words fell off of her tongue as he gave her a soft kiss. Riley melted under him.

 **OoOoOoO**

When Riley got home, it was empty an empty house again, but then again, she was glad. That's how she liked it. But she knew her dad would be home eventually, and more than likely drunk and enraged.

She heard the phone ringing, and she automatically recognized the number.

"Hey, Lucas," Riley greeted into the telephone.

"Are you free tomorrow?" Lucas asked her excitedly. Riley paused anxiously. Her dad would be furious if she went on a date with Lucas tomorrow afternoon. She frowned and bit her lip.

"I'm sorry. I have a project I have to work on that night."

"I'm not talking about tomorrow afternoon- I'm talking about during school. Come on, Riles, I really wanna take you to a special place that I know," Lucas tried to convince her. Riley sighed. If she wasn't in her dad's class that day, he would kill her for sure. But... She had him second period.

"After second hour, okay? Meet me outside of the gym," Riley gave in, feeling slightly excited yet scared to death.

"Sounds great," Lucas said, smiling widely even though she couldn't see him.

 **OoOoOoO**

As Riley sat in Lucas's Chevy truck, she kept asking him where they were going. They had been driving for over an hour.

"You'll find out soon enough," Lucas assured her. He suddenly veered off the main road into the dense forest. Riley stared out the window as the scenery slipped by.

"We're going to the meadow back here. There's a little lake down here past the trails. We're going to have a picnic," Lucas finally explained. Riley grinned.

"Cowboy, take me away," She laughed. She finally felt, if only for a few hours, free. He helped her out of the truck into the beautiful outdoors.

 **Anamonus (Guest): Thank you a lots for reviewing. **

**.gallifrey : Thank you so much. And don't worry, I almost did too lol. Glad you enjoyed it. **

**Rucas4ever (Guest): It will all be explained. I tend to take really angsty, dramatic turns and a lot of people don't like it. Yes I love Rucas too. But I also love Lucaya lol. Thank you for reviewing, I hope that you continue to enjoy!**

 **LittleBitNerdy : Here's your update! Thanks for reviewing, and I can't make any promises. **

**Peace Out,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	4. Chapter 4

**Cowboy Take Me Away**

 **A/N: Please tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, but no flames. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thank you. :)**

 **Third Person**

Lucas helped Riley out of his truck into the beautiful New York forest.

As they walked, occasionally, Riley would slip on a wet rock or some vines, and Lucas would latch on to her arm or wrist to keep her from falling. Riley tried to keep from wincing in pain as he unknowingly grabbed her cuts. Finally, Riley heard the rushing of a river in the distance and the birds chirping, piercing the quiet.

"The forest awaits you, m'lady," Lucas bowed romantically. He took off his shirt and shoes and then and stepped into the shallow water.

"Come on in, Riley," he encouraged. She shook her head, watching him said in the water. If she took her clothes off, he would see the bruises and the scars.

Riley dipped her feet in for a few minutes while Lucas sat on the shore next to her.

It was perfect. Until it wasn't.

"Hey, what's this," Lucas asked, perplexed, his hand going towards Riley's sleeve to roll it up farther, which had slipped up a quarter of the way between her elbow and her wrist.

"Nothing. It was just- Maya and I were messing around and her fingernail scratched me, that's all," Riley answered all too quickly, rushing to pull down her shirt sleeve. Lucas frowned and grabbed the picnic basket, trying to ignore the worry and suspicion that he felt. Riley barely ate, just like always.

 **OoOoOoO**

"You're a failure," Riley whispered to her reflection. "He would never want someone like you. You should be dead. You're worthless."

Riley carefully filled up the bathtub with water. She had to do this. She had to make it go away. Nobody would care anyway. Nobody cared about her. Not even him.

Red filled the bathtub as she slit into her wrists. She just wanted it to be over.

 **A/N: TALK ABOUT A CLIFFHANGER!**

 **And suggestions? Pretty please? For anything; I'm running out of ideas.**

 **Miss. Mint chocolate chip : Yeah, I understand what your saying. I will do my absolute best. Thank you so much for reviewing. **

**LittleBitNerdy : Sorry! Nope. I'm so glad that you are enjoying. Thank you for your support!**

 **Greasygirl3 (Guest): Thank you so much! I'm glad it wasn't cheesy or anything like that. :)**

 **Peace Out y'all,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


	5. Chapter 5

Cowboy Take Me Away

 **A/N: Please tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, but no flames. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thank you. :)**

 **Third Person**

Everything was slipping in and out of context, but Riley distinctly heard Maya's voice shouting her name in a panicked, frenzied tone. That was the last thing that she remembered before everything went silent and eerily but peacefully black.

Death was silent and peaceful. Riley wished for it desperately. She was tired of feeling nothing but emptiness. There had to be more out there for her. There was an aching, desperate hope on her chest as she slept.

 **OoOoOoO**

Slowly, Riley forced open her heavy eyelids. Everything was blurry at first, but after blinking a few times Riley saw Maya in front of her.

"Hey," Riley croaked, coughing weakly. She wanted to be anywhere but there. She was suppose to die. It was all suppose to be over by now. She wanted out.

"I'm glad you're finally awake. Ranger Rick won't stop pacing out there, but only one non-family member is allowed in your room," Maya explained, laughing slightly when she teased Lucas.

"Where's my dad?" Riley questioned, trying to sound curious, but it came out meek-sounding and scared.

"He left," Maya said softly, but was unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "He left you and your mom, Peaches. I'm so sorry."

 **Candymouse22 : Hey! 3 Thank you for reviewing! Hope you continue to enjoy. **

**Greasygirl3 (Guest): I'm sorry! Lol. I don't think that this will end too quickly, just as long as all of my other. Thank you so much for reviewing! :)**

 **SleepingwSirens (Guest): Either one. I accept and love both. Thank you! ;)**

 **Sand1128 : That is a really, really good idea! I will use that for sure! Thank you so much for your help!**

 **LittleBitNerdy : I am sorry. Lol. Are you better now though? I didn't kill her. Thanks for commenting and reading. :)**

 **Miss. Mint chocolate chip : You just completely made my day- no, week. Thank you so much! I am so very glad. **

**Winchesters. and. Gallifrey : Thank you so much! I'm glad that you enjoyed. **

**I will for sure try and work that into the plot from here. That is such s good suggestion. I just think that it should happen later on.**

 **: Thank you so much. You will definitely see more Riley/Lucas and Riley/Maya angst. **

**Guest (1): Yes. He has. **

**Peace Out y'all,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


	6. Chapter 6

Cowboy Take Me Away

 **A/N: Please tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, but no flames. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thank you. :)**

 **Third Person**

Riley choked. She didn't believe Maya. It couldn't be true. As terrible as her dad had been to her, she still loved him.

"I'm sorry, Riles," Maya repeated, but Riley just shook her head. She didn't want to see anybody anymore. Maya, as if she had read Riley's mind, silently got up and walked out of the door. Once she was where Riley couldn't see her anymore, she ran to the bathroom and shakily fell onto her knees. Her stomach clenched and she vomited and spit into the toilet, sobbing and shaking violently. Seeing Riley like that confirmed all of her fears and everything that she had been told she she found out Riley was in the hospital.

It was her fault. Maya was Riley's best friend, she should have been the one to spot it before it had escalated that far.

 _Flashback:_

 _"Yes, of course. We'll be there right away."_

 _Maya was only mildly interested in her mother's conversation, but perked up when she heard the word "we." There wasn't anybody else around, the we must have included her._

 _"Get in the car, Maya," her mother instructed firmly. Maya stood up from her spot on the couch and gave her mother a confused glance._

 _"Why? Where are we going?"_

 _Katie sighed. "Riley's in the hospital, Maya."_

 _Maya felt like she was going to throw up, and she could barely stand up straight._

 _"Why?" Maya repeated blankly._

 _"She tried to kill herself, baby girl," Katie informed her daughter gently. That was all Maya needed to hear. She regained control of her limbs and rushed out to the car._

 _When Maya blearily walked into the hospital, tears streaming, she caught sight of Lucas, who was pacing the hospital floor anxiously. She couldn't even think of a nickname to call him, or any joke that would make it all just go away. She just sat down, helpless._ _It felt like hours, but Mays suddenly noticed a doctor talking to her mom and a very worried-looking Lucas._

 _"...We were able to replace the blood that she's lost. We recommend a mental hospital, but her dad refused to admit her when we spoke to him earlier. Only one non-family member in the room," he told them. It took Maya a few seconds of comprehension, but she managed to make it into Riley's hospital room before collapsing in a chair next to her best friend's bed._

 _"I'm so sorry, peaches," she whispered to her friend's pale, silent figure. A single tear fell down her face, and she fought for composure, but then started sobbing even harder because she couldn't get control. She was slipping out of it, getting swallowed by the aching nothingness in her chest._

 _End flashback_

 **LittleBitNerdy : Well, I guess that that's what alcohol does to a person. And yes, I couldn't have killed Riley so early on... But I could later. I haven't decided. Lol. **

**Candymouse22 : Thank you so much. I hope that you continue to enjoy.**

 **Miss. Mint chocolate chip : Thank you so much. That's my goal; to improve with every chapter. **

**ReadingSingingIsMyLife : Thank you! 3**

 **Peace Out y'all,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


	7. Chapter 7

**Cowboy Take Me Away**

 **A/N: Please tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, but no flames. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thank you. :)**

 **Third Person**

When Maya came out of the bathroom, twenty minutes later and semi-composed, she saw Lucas waltzing down the hallway.

"How'd you get in here?"

"Well, the nurses couldn't deny Riley's _brother_ the right to see her," Lucas drawled, managing a small smile. Maya snorted.

"Come on, Maya, let's go get something to eat. You need it," Lucas offered. Maya was too tired to fight, so she nodded mutely.

"Okay. Just no Mexican food," Maya teased, scrunching up her nose.

"But that's takes out everything good!" Lucas complained.

"Sorry," Maya said sarcastically.

"If you insist," Lucas sighed, his mind drifting back to Riley. He couldn't ignore the sense of guilt in his stomach. He thought back to the first time he noticed something was off about Riley.

 **OoOoOoO**

 **Flashback:**

" _I'm not good enough for you, Lucas."  
_

 _"Riley Matthews, how can I make you see that you are good enough?" He wondered._

 _She didn't know and neither did Lucas. But laying in his arms on the grass in the middle of nowhere, she was content to figure it all out later._

 _End flashback_

Lucas entered the hospital after dropping off Maya at the gift shop with instructions to buy something that Riley would like, with his money, from the both of them. She returned about half an hour later with a medium-sized, stuffed pink pig. He raised his eyebrows questioningly at her.

"It's Riley we're talking about," Maya's voice grew quiet. "She use to love stuffed animals."

Lucas understood and instantly felt bad.

He wanted the old Riley back too.

 **A/N: I hope that you enjoyed! Please review! Thanks for reading! :)**

 **Miss. Mint chocolate chip : You have a way of always making my day. Thank you so much for your kind words!**

 **LittleBitNerdy : Well, I can't reveal what I am going to her yet, but I agree with you. Lol. Thank you for reviewing.**

 **Guest : I'm trying to make them longer, but it's a very slow process. Thank you for your support.**

 **Greasygirl3 (Guest): Maybe, Maybe not. :) and I'm glad that you're enjoying the third person point of view, I normally write in first person. And by the way, thank you for your comment on "Better Left Unspoken."**

 **Guest (2): Here it is! :)**

 **Winchesters. and. Gallifrey : That's a really good idea! Thank you!**

 **Blackasvoid : I know a lot of people who cut. So yeah, I know. I did that on purpose. Thanks.**

 **Peace Out y'all,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


	8. Chapter 8

Cowboy Take Me Away

 **A/N: Please tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, but no flames. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thank you. :)**

 **Third Person**

Riley was relieved to be out of the hospital the very next day. Her mother had already told her that she was forcing her against her will to attend therapy. Riley didn't put up much of a fight though, it was either therapy or a mental hospital, and she wasn't having a mental hospital.

It was a Saturday, and Topanga wasn't going to make her go to school until the middle of the week. All weekend, and even on Monday, Lucas and Maya took turns hovering. All of the pill bottles and sharp objects were locked up and hidden. She itched so desperately for something to cut with that she almost couldn't stand it.

Just to get away from he constant hovering and be able to breathe, Riley told Maya that she was going to school.

She groaned as her alarm clock went off.

 **OoOoOoO**

"Hey, Lucas," Maya greeted. "Have you seen Riley?"

Lucas shook his head. "She wasn't in second hour," he told her.

"She told me she was coming today. Where is she?" Maya asked quickly, suddenly getting scared.

"I don't know. Let's grab Farkle and Zay and then we'll look for her," Lucas suggested, sounding worried too.

 **OoOoOoO**

Farkle found Riley first, curled up in her bed. She hadn't been able to force herself to get up for school.

"What happened?" Farkle asked softly, sitting next to her.

"Don't tell my parents," she whispered, her voice void of any and all emotion.

"What happened?"

"What do you mean? Where do I even start?" Riley snapped loudly, sitting up.

"From the beginning," Farkle said in a reassuring tone. Suddenly, Riley started to cry. She did just that. She told him everything.

"What am I suppose to do?" She begged between sobs.

"Don't stop talking to people, Riley. You _can_ beat this. Your friends. Maya, Lucas, Zay, me," Farkle tried to hug her, but she remained tense the entire time.

"I'm sorry," Riley whispered.

"For what?"

"For being broken," she cried.

 **A/N: **Suggestion from sand1128 used in this chapter. Thank you!**

 **LittleBitNerdy : I have an obsession with stuffed animals. Like, bins and bins full. And I've given most of them away to charity. Lol. Well, here you go! She's baaaack!**

 **Peace Out y'all,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


	9. Chapter 9

**Cowboy Take Me Away**

 **A/N: Please tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, but no flames. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thank you. :)**

* * *

Farkle didn't speak of what happened in Riley's bedroom and she was grateful, but sometimes she felt as if she was walking on eggshells around her friends.

Despite not being able to cut, Riley continued to quiet eating. Everybody noticed, but again, they didn't say anything and it was enough to make her want to pull her hair out.

A few days later, Riley saw a group of twenty-something year olds smoking on the street. She suddenly got an idea.

"I'll give you a ten for the pack," she offered, showing off the bill. The boy grinned and handed her the pack.

When she got home, she slipped her black skinny jeans off and pulled out an old lighter from her grandfather. She lit the cigarette, but instead of smoking it, she held it against her hip bone. She could smell her flesh burning, but welcomed the painful distraction.

The sound of her phone buzzing made her jump. Lucas was calling her.

 **(Bold: Lucas _Bold Italics: Riley)_**

 _ **"Hello?"**_

 **"Hey, Riley. What's up?"**

 ** _"Nothing much."_ ** Lie.

 **"You wanna go out tonight? Maybe go to Topanga's or something."**

 **"... _Sure. Why don't we invite Farkle and Maya too_?"** Make them believe your fine, Riley thought. Pretend it's all okay.

 **"See you then,"** Lucas said before hanging up.

 **OoOoOoO**

When Riley got back, everything suddenly crashed down on her. She couldn't be normal. She couldn't _do_ this anymore.

She searched desperately through the medicine cabinet before finding a bottle of aspirin her mother had forgotten to hide.

She was shaking so hard that she barely registered what she was doing. Her shaky fingers closed around the lid, and she furiously twisted it, but her fingers barely made contact. She started sobbing, desperately trying to yank the lid open through her frustration.

With a yell, she chucked it at the wall. Desperate for relief, she grabbed her stashed cigarettes and held a lit one to her thigh.

* * *

 **A/N: Just to clarify, next chapter will be the little date thing. And before anybody says anything about Riley not being able to open the pill bottle, my friend did this. She was so frustrated she couldn't even get the bottle open to kill herself. It's more common than you would think.**

 **LittleBitNerdy : Yes, there will be. Just not sure when, sorry. Fluffiness isn't my forte, but I'll try. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reviewing!**

 **Sand1128 : I really love Farkle, and I do my best to give him parts in the story. Thank you for reviewing. **

**Miss. Mint chocolate chip : Thank you so much! :)**

 **Guest (1): I was thinking about doing that, but it seems really out of character. I might keep him as the good guy, IDK.**

 **Peace Out y'all,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


	10. Chapter 10

Cowboy Take Me Away

 **A/N: Please tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, but no flames. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thank you. :)**

 **Third Person**

"How you feeling, Riles?" Maya questioned innocently as she sat down. Lucas entered Topanga's right after her, and when he sat down next to Riley he gave her a kiss on the cheek. She was cold, so she smuggled into him.

"Better," Riley shrugged indifferently, reaching her arm near Farkle to take a sip of her water.

"Do you smoke?" Farkle asked her suddenly, sniffing. Riley froze.

"Maybe.… I did today. I'm sorry," Riley confessed, lying through her teeth. Lucas stayed silent, looking sad. Riley didn't know how to help him, so she remained silent.

 **OoOoOoO**

"I know what you're doing," Farkle confronted after Maya and Lucas has left.

"How?"

Farkle rolled up his shirt sleeve to reveal numerous cuts and sickening cigarette burns.

"Because I was just like you, Riley. When I was being bullied. I know how you feel."

Riley couldn't keep her eyes off of his scars.

"You're wrong," she whispered, turning to leave. Farkle grabbed one of her fresh cuts on accident and she couldn't keep from hissing.

"Can't you see? I don't fit in, Farkle. Let me go," Riley demanded through clenched teeth. Farkle stared at her, slowly releasing her arm.

"You don't know what you're doing-"

"I think I do," Riley snapped. As she left, she couldn't bite back her tears of regret and anger. By time she got home, she had been clenching her fists so hard that blood ran between her fingers.

She wanted out.

 **A/N: Sorry guys. Writers block and I wanted to get this up.**

 **LittleBitNerdy: Yeah. Lol. Don't worry, I am too. But it is a depression fic hon.**

 **Miss. Mint chocolate chip : Thanks so much, I'm glad that you feel that way. :)**

 **Guest : Yes! I love that movie! We had to watch it for school. Thank you so much for your kind words. **

**Rose (Guest): Here it is! Hope you enjoy. **

**MultiShipsLover17 : Thank you for your kind words! :3**

 **Peace Out y'all,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


	11. Chapter 11

Cowboy Take Me Away

 **A/N: Please tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, but no flames. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thank you. :)**

 **Third Person POV**

Riley came out of the bathroom and saw a pile of envelopes on the table. She pulled out a letter with familiar handwriting on it.

Her dad's.

She pulled it out with shaking hands. It was short, but she couldn't get past "Dear Riley" before she felt like she was going to throw up.

Riley walked into her bedroom as Maya crawled through the window to see her. Riley sat next to her and leaned her head on Maya's shoulder.

"Hey, you remember the forgiveness project?"

"Yeah," Maya responded curiously.

"I think I need to forgive someone _besides_ Auggie."

Maya softly asked, "you're dad for leaving?"

"Not exactly. Forgive him for this."

Riley, suddenly feeling bold, rolled up her shirt to reveal bruises from her dad, careful not to reveal her own inflicted marks.

"Who. Did. This?" Maya growled.

"He did," Riley said stoically. It was the only way she could keep her composure. Don't feel. Anything.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't. I was scared."

"I'm sorry, Riles," Maya wrapped her arms around Riley.

"I'm sick of being scared," Riley whispered.

"I know honey."

 ****Three options for how I should continue this story, and I'd like to know which one you guys would like for me to do.**

 ** _1) In a few chapter Riley gets help and then an epilogue chapter. Wrap it up so I can start another story._**

 ** _2) Riley starts to get better but something happens and she relapses really bad._**

 ** _3) Riley, from not eating lately, gets sick and Lucas cares for her. Then I can add number one or two afterwards._**

 ** _Thank you!_**

 **LittleBitNerdy: Haha. Thank you for reviewing. And here's your Rilaya fluff! :)**

 **: I love suggestions! :) Thank you for reviewing and I love your username!**

 **Guest: Thank you for commenting. :)**

 **Miss. Mint chocolate chip : You never fail to put a smile on my face with your reviews. Thank you. I'm glad that you think so. 3**

 **Greasygirl3 (Guest): Awwwww, thank you, I'm so glad. :)**

 **Peace Out y'all,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


	12. Chapter 12

Cowboy Take Me Away

 **A/N: Please tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, but no flames. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thank you. :)**

 **Third Person POV**

 _Dear Riley,_

 _I know it's too late but I regret how I acted. It wasn't really me, it was the alcohol. I hope everything is okay. I won't write again. I won't do that to you. I hope you and Topanga are doing okay. I'm sorry._

 _\- Dad_

 **OoOoOoO**

I cried. I balled up the letter between my fists and sobbed into the pillow. And once I had collected myself I had a headache and my throat was sore from all the crying I had done.

I curled up into a warm ball and tried to quench the overwhelming tiredness that I felt inside.

 **OoOoOoO**

"Nope. You have a fever, Riley. You're staying home."

"Lucas!" I whined, breaking off into a coughing fit. He laughed and kissed my forehead.

"Never fear, I'll stay with you," he assured me. I smiled.

"Okay, that makes it worth it. I love you, Lucas," I told him weakly. He repeated the same.

"Thank you for staying with me."

 **OoOoOoO (1 year later)**

What was I going here? Love makes you do crazy things, and I guess that I was doing this for Lucas. But, mostly, I guess, myself. It wouldn't be easy, but I had to do it.

I pulled up to the brick therapy building.

Here goes nothing.

"Miss Matthews? Follow me to the back."

 **A/N: The End! Thank you for all who supported me. I love you all so**

 **much. I'm sorry that it's so short.**

 **Guest: Thank you! :) I appreciate you commenting.**

 **LittleBitNerdy: Yeah. Thank you for commenting!**

 **Anonymous (Guest): Thank you!**

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 **edenluciecheers: Thanks for commenting.**

 **Peace Out y'all,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


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